Brighter
by Bedroom Dancing
Summary: Welcome to the second succesive season of SSX Tricky World tour. A new member has been added to the ranks this year, as well as all of your old favorites. Watch as the riders compete with each other for the ultimate victory, on and off the slopes.
1. Prologue

Brighter

by Bedroom Dancing 

**A/N:** Ahh, the first SSX fic I've attempted in forever. It's set in SSX Tricky time, with a vital OC in the mix, but it's not entirely focused around the OC. It's more of an Elise/Eddie friendship fic at this point.

So let me know what you think.

* * *

The blonde bombshell shifted and stretched her legs out on across the love seat, resting her eyes. "Eddie, what time is it?" she asked.

"Um, around one," replied her redheaded companion, whose lap currently made the perfect pillow. Eddie's fingers danced across the keyboard of his laptop, pausing occasionally to scratch his chin. "Hey Ellie, check out this cold front moving it. We're gonna get about 4 inches of fresh powder for the freestyle comp!"

Elise's eyes fluttered open and she stretched her neck to take a peek at the screen. "Good. The course was totally crappy during the race."

"You only say that because you lost," said Zoe smugly from her perched position on a high stool in the adjacent kitchen area of the lodge. Next to her, Moby chuckled into his coffee.

Elise wrinkled her nose and settled back down into the couch. Kaori wandered over to peer at the screen, studying the weather map.

"Maccie, why is the rain green?" the Japanese girl asked curiously, leaning on the arm of the couch.

"Dunno, that's just the way they do they weather," Mac replied, ruffling up his mop of hair. Loud music poured out of the headphones resting around his neck, his foot tapping along to the beat.

Slipping in through the front door, a petite brunette girl shuffled around the edge of the room and entered the kitchen.

"Sneaking around, eh noob?" Zoe sipped her coffee, seated at the small kitchen table with Moby. Hailey shook her head.

"Nah, just took a little trip to the chemist's," she replied, gesturing to the plastic bag hanging around her wrist. "Any coffee left?"

Moby nodded at the half-drained pot on the counter top.

"And you may not wanna wander too far, Rahzel's called a meeting in 10," Zoe added.

Hailey nodded, stirring a packet of sugar into her coffee. She flicked a few lose strands of hair out of her pale eyes, attempting to tuck the angled pieces into a large, sloppy bun at the nape of her neck.

"Oh dear, I was hoping for some peace and quiet after a rough day of shopping, but she's here," Marisol trilled in her heavy Latin accent, having just traipsed through the front door with her arms laden with shopping bags. She was flanked by a completely bald African American woman, who seemed to be carrying twice as many shopping bags.

"Boo, you whore," came Elise's snappy reply. "Nobody likes you."

Marisol laughed shrilly, strutting across he lodge. "That's where your wrong, I think it's you who should watch your back."

"Maybe you should spend less time on yours," declared Elise, who was now sitting straight up on the couch, fingers clenching the floral printed cushioning.

"Alright, let's all just settle the _fuck_ down," Rahzel came striding out of his office, naturally bursting in on just the moment to stop the fight. "And, Kaori, don't repeat that word. If we're gonna teach your little Asian ass how to speak English, you're not gonna become some gutter mouth."

"Which word?" she asked sheepishly, sitting indian style on the love seat. Mac leaned over and whispered into her ear, causing Kaori's eyes to widen.

"So who are we missing?" Rahzel scanned the room. "Looks like Brodi, Jp, Psymon, and-"

"The fat one," Kaori offered.

"He's not fat, he's _big boned_," Seeiah mocked Luther's Southern twang.

"Is Luther the one with he mullet?" Hailey asked Moby, taking a sip of her coffee. He nodded.

"Sorry guys, hope I'm not late," Brodi descended the into the lodge, ducking his head under a low beam at the foot of the stairs. "I was in the middle of some meditation."

"Yeah yeah yeah, sit down," Rahzel replied. "Zoe, get off your ass and go get Psymon from his trailer."

"Yessir," Zoe said dully, reluctantly sliding off her stool and heading for the exit.

"I'll call Jean Paul and see where he is," Marisol dropped her shopping bags onto the floor, and began rummaging around in a furry pink purse.

"That may be the most helpful thing you've ever done," Elise said sarcastically. "Thanks so much for being such a kind person."

Marisol rolled her eyes, already punching numbers into her sleek, silver phone. "Hello? Jean, where are you? Yeah, Rahzel has a stick up his ass today and wants you in the meeting right now. I don't care if the Queen of England invited you to lunch, you need to be here. Uh-huh. Oh. Well then, adios!"

"Whats the story?' Rahzel asked, raising his eyebrows.

"They're busy. I tried so hard to get them to come back, but no can do," Marisol sounded unconvincingly upset.

"Whatever, you can clue them in later. Now how long does it take to walk to his fucking trailer, parked right outside?" Rahzel glanced at his watch, scowling.

"You should've sent Mac or Brodi," Elise replied, preening at one of her nails. "Or anyone Psymon wouldn't have any reason to spend... _Quality time_ with."

It was Moby's turn to scowl. Hailey just tried to surpress a chuckle, it was almost adorable how protective of Zoe he was.

Massaging his temples, Rahzel strained his voice over the assorted chatter that had broken out throughout the room. "FUCK IT, meeting time. That's right Mac, music off. Nobody else here wants to hear your little Simple Plan garbage."

"It's not Simple Plan," protested Mac. "It's actually this one new hardcore band called-"

"Oh damn, who cares? Kaori, it's your new responsibility to keep this kid quiet. I don't care how," Rahzel said. "So as you know, tomorrow's the big race. Then we have one night to stay here, and we leave early tomorrow morning for Japan."

Kaori squealed excitedly, holding the disconnected plug to Mac's headphones in one hand, and his little blue Mp3 player in the other.

Rahzel continued, "So, tonight's curfew is midnight-"

"Love to see him enforce that one, chica," Marisol whispered to Seeiah. She nodded, grinning.

"- And meeting time for the event tomorrow is 10 am SHARP. Then we warm up at a quarter to 11, race time is noon. Any questions?"

Elise yawned, raising her hand straight up in the air from her lounged position on the love seat. "What about press conferences? And, will the winner have time to come back here and freshen up before the awards ceremony?"

"How the hell should I know?" Rahzel asked. "Just be on time or I get in trouble, and if I get grilled, you get grilled twice as hard. Now, SCRAM, 5 hours until curfew."

Attention spans finally free to wander, Marisol and Seeiah ascended the staircase to the rooms with their assortment of shopping bags. Mac wrestled his Mp3 player back from Kaori, and plugged his headphones in.

"I'm going to be making some tofu for dinner, would anybody else like some?" Brodi offered, heading towards the kitchen.

Kaori hopped off the couch and followed him, "I'll take some!" she replied. Mac rose to his feet, trailing in her wake.

"Wanna go out and eat? There's a good burger place down the road," Elise sat up, looking over at Eddie.

"Sure. Just lemme finish this up," Eddie replied, having resumed his work on the laptop. Elise yawned loudly, stretching out her arms, and flocked to the kitchen with everybody else.

"I saw a decent single's bar in town this afternoon," Hailey offered to Moby, who sat darkly stirring his tea. He shook his head.

"I'm not searching," he replied dully. "Zoe and I are, er... Just on break."

Hailey raised her eyebrows, and held her tongue.

"Noob, come get a burger with us," Elise stood in the entrance of the kitchen, jingling her cars keys, with Eddie by her side. "Dunno about you, but I can't live off of eating leaves."

"Tofu is actually soybean curd, and I can flavor it like chicken if you'd like," Brodi offered, pulling out a couple pans from the cabinet.

"Pass," Eddie replied. Hailey dumped her coffee cup in the sink, and grabbed her pea coat off the back of the chair.

"Alright, I'm in," she said, grinning.

* * *

**A/N:** Mmkay, that's just a little prologue to kinda introduce you to the characters and such. I've got lots of little twists planned, as well as a basic idea of the plot, so updates should come quickly.

Review pleaseee.


	2. The War of All Against All Begins

**A/N:** Sorry that took such a long time, I had a whole lot of studying to do as of lately. But I'm on break now, so hopefully I'l get some good work in on this story.

* * *

Hailey picked at the greasy tray of "Disco Fries" set in the middle of the table, dipping a fry in extra cheese before popping it into her mouth.

"This is where I went on my first date, with some frumpy guy named Steve," Elise mused, peering around at the typical diner interior decorations.

Hailey took a swig of coke. "Garibaldi's your hometown, right?" she asked.

Nodding, Elise replied, "I actually learned to board on the old course that got ripped apart and redone for our circuit a couple seasons ago."

Eddie scooped up a couple fries off the tray, gulping them down whole.

"Would you kids like anything else?" the blonde waitress skated over, skidding to a halt next to their table.

"I think we're good." Elise glanced around the table for nods of approval. "Just bring us the check."

"Okay," she smiled, grabbing a couple dishes before skating off.

"I'll pay for you ladies, cause I'm a manly man," Eddie assured the two girls, winking and fishing around the back pocket of his striped pants. His wardrobe and massive pumpkin afro didn't fit in all too terribly with the 70's decor of the small diner.

"You don't see many rollerblading places around. I think this is the only one I've ever been to," Hailey commented, watching their waitress depart for the kitchen.

"It's a Canada thing," Eddie replied simply.

Sipping at her iced tea, Hailey listened as Elise and Eddie got into a heated debate over the best places to eat worldwide. Elise had a pretty good point about the classiness of French food, and Eddie seemed to be more of a cheeseburger and fries kinda guy. Personally, Hailey couldn't wait to try the sushi bars in Japan.

Hailey passed the rest of the meal in relative silence, constantly biting on the end of her straw and occasionally tossing a couple words into the conversation.

* * *

"Oh put on some clothes, will you? Nobody here wants to see your Latina ass in just a bikini."

Marisol wrinkled her nose, clutching the terry-cloth towel tighter around her body. "We were in the sauna," she defended coldly.

But contrary to Elise's words, a few of the men spread around the lodge didn't much seem to mind Marisol's lack of clothing. Kaori's eyes even seemed to linger, holding an expression that showed much more shock then excitement.

"Hey Marisol, let's just get upstairs, no need to blow a fuse or some shit," Seeiah nodded towards the staircase. "Let's all be chill."

"Kaori, repeat after me. SLUT. S-l-u-t, slut," Zoe tore her eyes away from that evening's showing of CSI: Miami to preach loudly to Kaori.

"Don't repeat that," Brodi chimed in calmly from his Indian style position on the floor.

"No matter how true it may be," Zoe added gruffly. "But yes, your quite right. What would Marisol ever have done to deserve to be called a slut?"

Eddie began to silently tick off his fingers.

"Oh shut up you disgraceful cow," Jp snapped at Zoe, stepping forward to defend Marisol. He wore a pair of swim trunks, and his t-shirt was damp. "We'll see whose laughing tomorrow when you screw up a trick and fall on your ass, like usual."

Zoe raised her eyebrows, licking her upper lip. "Is that so? Well let me tell ya Frenchie, we can take this outside."

"Ima squash you like a little bug," Luther gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

"Oh can it, fatty," Seeiah said in a bored voice, leaning against the wall and beginning to preen her nails.

"For goodness sakes, what have I told you lot about shutting the fuck up?" Rahzel angrily threw aside his newspaper, jumping up out of his armchair. "I could've just pretended you weren't arguing, but no, you need to go on and on and on. Now get your little white asses to bed, it's 11:50."

Seeiah _harumph_ed and led the way up the staircase.

"Is it always like this?" Hailey sat cross-legged on the couch, grinning in amusement from over her magazine. Elise nodded, stretching out her arms and yawning.

"Well, the way I see it, we have to constantly put Marisol in her place," she said, just loud enough for her comment to reach its target's ears.

"Cat fights are hot," Mac mumbled as he walked by with Kaori. The Japanese girl didn't seem to really notice or care, and looked oddly at Zoe as the punk boarder exited through the front door.

"Isn't Zoe's room that way?" Kaori pointed to the staircase.

Mac looked out the window, watching Zoe traipse through the thin layer of powder coating the grounds as she advanced towards Psymon's trailer. Looking at Kaori, He shook his head and began to climb upward. "We'll save that for another time."

Rahzel picked up the crumpled newspaper, smoothing it out across his lap. "10, well now 8, minutes to curfew," he snapped at Hailey, Eddie, Brodi and Elise.

"Can I make you a cup of herbal tea? You seem stressed," Brodi offered.

Face obscured by the newspaper, Rahzel grumbled a reply, "You still have to be in your room by curfew."

* * *

"I just laid a Mac-Smackdown on Canada!"

"Oh can it already, whitie, you only won by 12,000-"

"No, Canada was owned. I _OWN_ CANADA!"

"Hey, I resent that!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, they might be recording this!" Rahzel stomped his foot, cussing out the three winning boarders who stood up on the podium. He stalked though the snow from his announcer's tower, approaching the trio. "Now Mac, quit slouching and no more bragging, Elise, zip up your shirt a little, and Seeiah, do you have to wear those sunglasses? You look like some kind of insect."

Elise adjusted her posture, standing up a little straighter on the third place spot so that she still towered over Mac, who continued to slouch and periodically kiss his shiny gold medal. Seeiah reluctantly perched the purple shades atop her bald head, eyes squinting from the afternoon sun and the relentless flashing of cameras aimed at the medalists.

Psymon watched the festivities from the sidelines, heavily muscled and mercilessly tattooed arms folded across his bare chest. Spitting at a small group of fans pushing at the blockades holding them back, he began to pace.

"You did good. Honestly," Zoe approached slowly, resting a gloved hand on his shoulder. "You'll nail that trick next time."

Psymon nodded, keeping his face in the shadows. "You know, I don't really give a fuck."

"But you do," insisted Zoe sweetly. "Or you wouldn't be acting all emo on me."

"Emo?" Psymon stood still, repeating Zoe's words before throwing his head back in laughter. Zoe grinned, smudging the thick red war paint across her cheek as she scratched at her eye.

Continuing to chuckle slightly, Psymon headed off for a gap in the stands. Ducking under the lowest row of vacant seats, he slipped out of the stadium without another word. Zoe stood and watched, slowly bending down to pick up the tiny slip of yellow paper Psymon had casually let slip out of his fingers.

* * *

"So... Is Moby always so glum as he was earlier?" Hailey asked from over the sudoku puzzle in her lap. She gnawed on the end of her pen, looking down the row.

"Him and Zoe go way back to the original SSX Tour. Then Psymon came along, and, well, you know," Elise replied, peering around for eavesdroppers. "Actually, I think Zoe's just playing her cards right so she can have both."

Eddie shook his head. "She probably just can't make up her mind. I mean, the Brit, or the Psycho? What a choice."

The SSX racers sat in their plushy airline seats, munching on their complimentary peanuts as the whopping eleven hour flight to Japan ticked by.

Elise opened her mouth to protest, but Zoe shuffled by their seats towards the bathroom, so she just smiled.

"How much longer is the flight? Maccie and I lost count after just six," Kaori turned around, yelling back a few rows to the trio. Hailey shook her head.

"_It's not nice to yell in public places_. Okay?" Rahzel said slowly, enunciating every syllable as he scooted down the aisle. "But for your information, we're landing very soon."

Kaori squealed with excitement and began to babble in fast Japanese, and Mac nudged her with his elbow. "Shush, Kay. I'll, uh, go shopping with you once we get to Japan if you play the silence game with me."

Nodding excitedly, Kaori pursed her lips together and grinned expectantly up at Mac.

"Cute kids. Wonder when he's gonna teach her the anatomy game," Elise smirked, settling back into her seat.

* * *

**A/N:** Please just drop a quick review before you go, some concrit on the progress of this would be nice. 


	3. Calmer Than You Are

**A/N:** Sorry the update took forever, I had finals and such to deal with.  
But now its summer! Hooray ect ect.

* * *

"Get the fuck out of my way!" Zoe cried out, swinging her arms out at Jp, who fell face first into a snow bank. 

"_Sarce de bleu_!" Jp spat out a chunk of snow, groping around for the expensive designer sunglasses that had flew off of his head.

Hailey zoomed by, swerving dangerously to avoid Jp. "Chill out, Zo!"

"I think you should shut your goddamn mouth," called Zoe over her shoulder, shifting her board to grind a rail that veered off the main course.

Eddie let go of the heelside edge of his board, sticking a landing so that he was riding alongside Hailey. "What crawled up her ass and died?"

"It's Psymon drama, I heard him and Moby duking it out," Elise replied from a couple meters behind.

"Any bloodshed this time?" Eddie asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nope, Rahzel stepped in just in time," interjected Mac as he zoomed by, Kaori hot on his tail.

Kaori hit a small jump, managing to twist herself 360 degrees and land back on the slick snow. "I'm ahead now, Maccie!" she cheered.

Mac replied by playfully spraying snow at her, before tucking to gain more speed as he approached a large gap.

The other three boarders took a low line around the jump park, cruising through a small foresty area.

The vibrations coming from Hailey's pocket startled her. "I'll catch up to you later," she called ahead to the others, who just coasted on. Easing her board into a stopped position, Hailey sat down and began to dig around in the pockets of her baggy pants.

"I'm gonna wait up for Hailey," Eddie said, hitching his thumb 100 yards up the hill where she had stopped. "Catch up with you later?"

"Sure," Elise replied, wiping a thin layer of fog from the in side of her sunglasses. Somebody zoomed by, almost knocking her flat onto the ground.

"Hey, watch it!" she yelled angrily at Moby's descending figure. He didn't even bother to reply, crouching down to gain more and more speed.

Moby launched off a jump, pulling off a tailgrab 900 before sticking a perfect landing. The gap between him and Zoe was closing in.

"Zoe, just stop for a minute!" he called out desperately, leaning forward to pick up as much speed as humanly possible. "I swear, love, we can work this out!"

Zoe seemed to falter, but she shook it off and began to twist her body, quickly approaching the jump.

Watching Zoe fling herself off the ramp and perform a perfect 1080 stalefish, Moby zipped around the side of the jump. Once her board pounded down on the snow, then bounced up again several times before she could gain control, Zoe noticed Moby riding right alongside her.

"Just listen to me!" Moby yelled over the wind whipping by the duo as they continued to pursue their high-speed chase. "What Psymon said, it's not true. I never wanted you that way, you're the best friend I have on this goddamn circuit! We've been in it since the beginning and you've never doubted me until _he_ came along!"

Zoe stopped abruptly, the force bringing her forward to her knees. Moby continued to drift on, watching helplessly up the almost vertical slope as Zoe lifted her face out of the snow, grimaced, and began to rip the board bindings from her ankles.

* * *

"Do I really have to share a room with this whore?" Elise spat vehemently, her tall frame towering over Rahzel. "I don't want her _customers_ flowing in and out all night. I need my damn beauty sleep."

Marisol raised her eyebrows. "Well, chica, someone like you could barely get enough of that."

Rahzel's nostrils flared, and he clenched his fists tighter on the sides of his clipboard. "Ladies, I assure that there will be enough room for both of you to peacefully coexist over the next week and a half in a room neither of you will be in with he exception of sleeping," he said through gritted teeth.

It was Elise's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Can't you just stick her with Seeiah? Baldy's about the only one who can put up with her little antics."

"Yeah, and get me out of that room," Zoe piped up.

Mac held up his hand much like a schoolchild. "Since everybody else is bitching, why am I always the one stuck with Moby? Have you ever _heard_ this guy sing in the shower at 4 am?"

"Oi mate, it's not like I much agree with the rooming either!" Moby snarled defensively. "We get bugs from the bloody messes you leave in the room!"

"What, like the ones crawling around in your dreads?" Psymon laughed.

"Okay, okay, enough!" Rahzel threw his hands up into the air, stepping between the smirking Psymon and the enraged Moby. "We have 13 riders and 7 rooms, so sort it out amongst yourselves. And **NO** coed."

Brodi snagged the clipboard Rahzel tossed up before it hit the ground.

Moby was absolutely fuming, hands already balled into fists and ready to knock Psymon out. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zoe shaking her head at him. The blood red warpaint that was usually artistically drawn across her cheekbones was smeared all the way down to her lips, and Zoe's black eyeliner was bleeding down from her eyes.

Psymon rounded on Brodi, grinning victoriously. "Okay Buddha-boy, I better still be the one with the single room, or you'll be wearing your ass as a hat."

* * *

"Why are these game shows so darn weird?" Eddie's eyes were locked on the television, and he was dripping small amounts of lo mein down the front of his vibrantly colored, button-up shirt.

Elise continued to drift around her suite, unpacking items out of various suitcases. "Well, they're Japanese. They do dumb things on TV for money," she shrugged, folding a blue t-shirt and stuffing it into the top drawer of her armoire. "Whoa, are they covered in honey?" she did a double-take of the tv.

"That's how they catch the money," Eddie chuckled, excited that Elise had finally caught onto how amusing it was.

There was a loud pounding on the door. "It's open," Elise replied hastily, without tearing her gaze from the game show.

"Oh good, you guys got take-out too," Zoe strode into the room, making a beeline for the small coffee table where the food sat. "I'm on a mission to bum an eggroll off someone, Psymon stuck mine up his nose. And you don't want to know where the others went."

"Go for it, we've got plenty," Eddie replied, gesturing blindly to the table. "We bought too much anyway."

Zoe plucked an eggroll off of its plate, wrapping it up in a napkin before departing.

"She looked like shit," Elise said bluntly.

Eddie nodded in agreement. "Guess she's seen better days."

"Well it sure as hell wasn't last year," Elise commented, beginning to pick at the skin around her nails. "She could barely qualify for a race. I'm surprised as hell they actually took her back."

Eddie nodded, reclining back in his chair and continuing to stuff food down his mouth.

Once the commercials began, Eddie took a long look over at all of the luscious food, from the shrimp egg foo young to the chicken fried rice. "Is all of this gonna fit in the mini fridge?"

Elise shook her head. "You can take the sushi back to your room. I hate raw fish."

"Thanks," Eddie said sarcastically. "Why don't you just pass it along to Brodi? You guys seemed rather chummy lately."

_Bingo, _thought Eddie. Elise's cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink.

"He's vegan, for your information," she recovered swiftly, leaping up from the armchair and resuming her unpacking.

Eddie, still smirking, twirled his chopsticks around in the carton of lo mein. She turned around, catching Eddie's eye and grinning.

"You win. So what do you think?"

"About Brodi?" Eddie asked, pausing to scratch his goatee. She nodded. "He's a chill dude. Very... Zen. Maybe he could show you some anger management skills?"

Elise shook her head, laughing. "He said he'd take me to the Buddhist temple on the other side of town tomorrow. It's supposed to be quite exotic. And they meditate there."

Switching his eyes back to the TV, Eddie replied quietly, "I always knew you had a thing for him."

Elise raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"

"Pshhh yeah, it was so obvious."

Biting down on her lip, she seemed the slightest bit nervous. "Like _really_ obvious?"

Eddie burst out laughing, and upon realizing he wasn't serious, Elise wasted no time in chucking a decorative pillow at his massive orange afro'ed head.

* * *

**A/N:** Mmmkay now review plz :D 


	4. Everything

**A/N**: So this fic has developed from just an Elise/Eddie friendship to a little more of a general overview of the relationships on the circuit. But you guys will still like it hopefully.

Also, thank you so much to those who review. Your concrit and praise really help move this fic along!

* * *

"Why do I always get this frizz on the day of a race!" Marisol fumbled around her bathroom, reaching for a curling iron with one hand as she attempted to flatten out the flared strand of hair with the other. Seeiah was lounged across the couch, idly scanning a jazz magazine. 

"Dunno, I've noticed no hair always looks good," she replied, licking her finger before flipping another page. Hearing her stomach rumble loudly, she swore inwardly. If Marisol made her miss lunch one more time...

"Okay! There it is," the Latin beauty smiled vapidly at her reflection in the floor length mirror, stepping back to admire how little her outfit left to the imagination. "Now let's grab some chow!"

Seeiah sprung off the couch, shrugging a leopard print coat over her shoulders as she head for the door.

"Wanna watch where the fuck you're going?" snapped an agitated Zoe, shoving Seeiah out of her path. Marisol caught the falling girl as she stumbled back into the door frame.

Seeiah thought better of uttering a snappy remark after catching sight of the murderous glare on Psymon's face. Instead she shut her gaping mouth, straightened up, and waited for the duo to continue their stroll. Psymon led Zoe to the stairwell, swiftly taking her hand as they rounded the corner.

She snatched it back.

"When will you just forget about the damn Brit?" Psymon grunted, clenching his teeth.

"I can't just forget him," Zoe rolled her eyes, as if it were ridiculous.

Psymon persisted. "Because...?"

"Because he was there for me last year when I was struggling. I owe him friendship at the very least," she replied with conviction.

Psymon snorted. "Friendship, eh?"

Zoe shot him a death glare. But inside she knew he was right.

Continuing to trudge down the stairs, Psymon said, "So why didn't you guys hit it off last year?"

It seemed every statement that came out of Psymon's mouth was blunt, the man knew no subtlety. But it didn't bother Zoe like it used to.

"I don't know. I wasn't in the right mind frame," Zoe replied, shrugging. "Like I didn't need him to deal with my problems."

"He probably wanted to," Psymon quipped, rolling his eyes dramatically. Zoe gave him a look, and he stopped.

"But I can't choose between the two of you," said Zoe. "There's no way."

"So go out with me, and be his friend," Psymon raised his eyebrows at her.

Zoe chuckled. "If only it were that simple, huh."

Psymon's patience was growing slightly thin. He clenched his fists.

"Well you know what I think? He had three years to make his goddamn move. He missed his chance," Psymon declared, stopping his ascend down the stairs and grabbing Zoe's hand again. His grey eyes, glinting like steel, bore into her.

Not able to meet his gaze, she shook her head and took her wrist back again. "I can't fucking do that to him," Zoe said softly, yet firmly.

The rest of the hike down to the lobby went in unsettling silence.

* * *

Brodi walked up a busy road in downtown Tokyo with Elise, little snowflakes drifting down from the overcast sky. He scratched his head, ruffling around the melted snow that had lodged itself in his honey blond locks of hair. He personally thought it was funny the way he and Elise, standing in at 6'2" and 5'11", weaved through the crowd of significantly shorter Japanese people. 

"Where would you like to go now?" Brodi asked Elise. His voice was deep and calm and full.

"Well, is that lunch buffet bullshit mandatory?" replied Elise.

"I don't think so," Brodi said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "We may have time to get some coffee before we need to report for the race, if you like," he offered.

"Sure, I know a nice place just up the road a bit past the subway station," Elise made a motion with her hand towards the street corner. "And they serve Vegan honey there, too."

By the time the duo reached the coffee shop, the snow was coming down harder.

"Too bad Snowdream has manmade snow. This powder looks divine," Brodi gazed out the window, stirring sugar into his coffee with a small, plastic straw.

"It does. Almost as pretty as the statue of Lha-mo we saw in the temple," Elise replied hopefully.

Brodi grinned, looking her in the eyes. "I'm glad you liked the temple. I went in there when we visited Japan those couple of times last year."

"My favorite part was the meditation and the Tibetan Prayer Wheels," Elise chatted casually, adding another cream to her coffee. "It was just fascinating!"

"Since you liked it so much, now I can bring you to a nice one that I know of when we go to France, too," he offered.

"I'd love to!" Elise smiled, leaning closer to Brodi over the table.

* * *

"You nervous?" 

Kaori looked over her shoulder to see Mac approaching. Dropping down into a seat next to her, he jammed his board into a soft spot in the snow.

"_Hai_, a little bit," Kaori confessed, gazing out into the stands. "My whole family came here to see me. Even my grandma and grandpa."

Mac ran a gloved hand over the slick, man-made snow. "Well don't be too stressed. You'll do fine," he said encouragingly.

"But I'm excited too. It's the only place on the tour that's indoors!" Kaori beamed. "And this is my hometown, too."

"Well then I'll have to smash your pretty little face in. That'll give the media something to write about," Luther growled, butting into their conversation.

"Oh give the poor girl a rest!" Seeiah defended, continuing to stretch out her arms. "Nobody likes it when you go all true grit on their ass."

"What would you know, pansy woman?" Luther chuckled, his fat rolls jiggling.

Zoe bent over to wax her board. "He's just pissy because he's never won a race, and one of these days Rahzel's just gonna cut his ass outta this tour," she grinned.

"Like you have been winning?" quipped Jp, staring at her over his trademark sunglasses.

"Well Holeshot, this race is mine," she replied without missing a beat. "Make sure to fix up your little makeup so that when you lose, at least your face looks pretty."

Jp scowled and rounded on Zoe, and the two began to continue their arguments, words cutting through each other like razor blades.

Watching the other riders get all hyped up from the corner of the race prep area, Hailey gnawed nervously on her pinky nail.

_Just an hour or so longer,_ she told herself, and the time continued to drag by.

* * *

Right after the final heat, Hailey slipped out of the arena. She walked into the parking lot with a spring in her step. Hopping up on top of a brick wall on the perimeter, she begin fumbling around in the main pocket of her messenger bag. The remaining fans flocked through the lot to their cars, none of them seeming to notice or care about Hailey. 

_Well, I'm still a noob,_ she reminded herself, then grumbled at her not-so-stellar performance in the race and continued shifting aside various things in her bag.

"I didn't know you smoked," came a stark, male voice. Hailey almost dropped the pack of Newports she'd uncovered.

"Uh, yeah," she replied, looking up at Psymon. "Aren't we allowed to?"

"Supposedly, no," Psymon said simply, casually leaning against the brick wall next to Hailey and pulling out his own pack. "But who the fuck cares?"

Satisfied with his response, Hailey lit her cigarette and offered the lighter to Psymon.

She took a deep drag. The rush of heavy smoke was sucked down into her lungs, then back up her throat and out her nose. Hailey couldn't name a single thing that made her feel so at ease with the world.

After a couple minutes of placid silence, he spoke again, "For a while there I thought I was the only one on this goddamn circuit destined to die of lung cancer." Psymon took one last puff, blowing out a neat little ring of smoke. The corners of Hailey's mouth twisted into a small grin.

"If the hypothermia doesn't get you first," she replied, peering over at Psymon's bare upper body, toned to perfection and draped in multiple tattoos of chains. His muscles flexed as he shrugged.

"I don't get cold. Fucked up nerve endings," Psymon said, tossing his cigarette butt aside. "And I'd finish that up before Rahzel decides to debrief the race and sends some prude like Kaori after you."

Hailey nodded, pressing the cigarette up to her lips once again as Psymon trudged away.

* * *

**A/N:** As always, reviews and concrit are highly appreciated. 


	5. Mercury Rising

**A/N:** Mmmkay, read on.

* * *

Hailey stood on a wrestling mat in the corner of the weight room, stretching out. Inhaling deeply, she gripped her left ankle and lifted the leg behind her back. The tip of Hailey's arched foot grazed the crown of her head. Pushing herself up on the tiptoes of her standing foot, Hailey held the position. 

"Yoga, eh?" Zoe had just finished a set of crunches while hanging from the pull-up bar. She took a swig of water, straddling a bench. "Does that mean you're into all the spiritual shit like Brodi?"

Releasing her leg and easing the arch on her back, Hailey exhaled. "Nope. It just keeps me in form for freestyle."

"Ah. Well I can't wait for you to show us all what you got," Zoe smirked, dropping the towel she used to wipe her brow and reaching for the water again.

Hailey shrugged, shaking out her legs before working on the other side. A nervous spasm shot through her gut.

"So why weren't you partying with us last night?" Zoe took another stab at conversation.

"It's not really my scene," Hailey said, pressing her heel a little higher on her head.

Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Alright, suit yourself."

The door squeaked open, allowing Jp, Marisol, and Seeiah to step across the threshold. Sensing some kind of unfolding drama, Hailey slipped down into a straddle and reached for her toes.

"What, is today parade of the assholes day or something?" Zoe laughed in spite of herself, reaching for the bar and pulling herself back onto it.

Jp's nostrils flared like there was a putrid smell wafting through the room. But he held his tongue and headed for the treadmills, Marisol's hand perched on his forearm the entire way. Seeiah sent Zoe a dirty look, but Zoe, suspended by her ankles, just laughed harder.

Hailey watched the scene, stretching down to touch her left toe, and couldn't help but chuckle. After finishing a set of crunches, Zoe turned towards her.

"Isn't this great? Our darling Jp is officially on probation," she smiled. Across the room, he shot her a death glare.

Sensing Zoe's gaze upon her, Hailey automatically replied, "For what?"

"It is not her place to tell," Jp piped up, continuing to trot on the treadmill.

"Really, then whose it is, Holeshot?" Zoe cheered.

"Jean Pierre may have gotten in trouble for hitting you back last night, but if you slug me back, you'll take the blame as well!" Marisol was fuming, fists curled into balls. Laughing amusedly, Zoe let herself down off the bar.

"Well, princess, being suspended from races may not mean anything to you because you never make the finals anyway," Zoe said vehemently. "But I, on the other hand, are on this circuit due to talent and not because I'm some veteran's booty call."

The door flew open again, yielding to Psymon.

All the confidence Marisol had gained seemed to shrivel down to nothing. She stepped sheepishly away from Zoe upon seeing Psymon, clad in a wife beater and scowling menacingly as usual.

"Seeiah, your dear mother is on the phone in the lobby and apparently I'm some kind of goddamn messenger. Go talk to her," he said monotonously. He gave Zoe a meaningful look, nodding his head at her before departing.

* * *

"Kay, I think we need fake ID's," said Mac, thumbing at the controls of his Gamecube. 

Not taking her eyes off the screen, Kaori replied, "But why, Maccie? We're too young."

"Because there was a huge bar fight last night! I always miss the good stuff sitting around playing video games!" Mac whined, mashing harder still on the controls. His Link sent Kaori's Peach sailing across the screen with the strike of his sword. She recovered, chucking a red shell at him.

Brodi sipped at his herbal tea, watching the screen with a slight interest. "The drinking ages vary based on what country we visit. When we get to France next, the legal age is only 16."

Mac whooped loudly. "Sweet."

"Was Psymon in that fight?" Kaori asked. "I hope he got suspersded."

Mac shook his head. "Jp was the one who got _suspended_. He hit Zoe."

"Oh." Kaori shrugged. "She seemed okay when I saw her today."

"That's because Jp can't fight for his life, he's a big, fat, French-"

_Knock, knock._

Pressing pause and tossing aside his controller, Mac strode across the room to get the door.

"Hi... Elise," Mac grinned, messing up his hair. "Funny seeing you here!"

"Not really. It seems the man whose taking me out to brunch is in your room," she replied, slightly hitching up the straps of her tiny blue tank top.

"Oh?" Mac looked slightly hopeful. Brodi appeared at his side.

"Shall we go?" he asked, gesturing down the hallway. Elise nodded, and they set off. Mac stood in the doorway, looking slightly crestfallen.

"Maccie! If you don't get back here, I'm going to press pause and kick your butt!"

Mac's grin returned.

* * *

Hailey made a motion to knock on the door, faltered, and put her hand back at her side. Lifting it back up again, she paused. 

_Just do it already,_ she said inwardly, scowling.

Finally, after getting tired of standing at the threshold of Eddie's room, she knocked.

"Uh, just a sec," Eddie called out. He cracked open the door enough to poke his head out. "Oh! Hi, Hailey. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted go riding or something," she said, shrugging. "Y'know, train for freestyle."

"Sure! I just got out of the shower, but I'll get ready if you wanna give me a couple minutes," he replied.

"Oh," Hailey said, scuffing her foot on a bare patch of carpet. "Well, I can come back later if you want..."

Eddie shook his head, his wet fro bouncing sideways with the movement. "Nah, you can just come in for a bit."

Brodi and Eddie's suite was neatly kept, and smelled faintly of sandalwood. Hailey lowered herself into an armchair near the tv as Eddie padded back into the bathroom. She picked up a small stack of magazines, scanning through old editions featuring various extreme sports. Coming across a year-old issue of Play Hard, Hailey flipped through it to find a story on a local street luge competition marked off.

"Ready?" Eddie asked, leaning against the door frame leading into the bathroom, clad in his usual retro 70's ensemble.

Hailey set down the magazines, nodding. "Sure."

The walk from the hotel where the riders stayed to the course was only a hike down the street, easily asccesible by taking the underground. Luckily, the course wasn't crowded with riders.

"Whoa, solid Crippled Squirrel!" Eddie yelled out as Hailey nailed the trick. "Can you do a Backwash 1260? the judges love that one."

Hailey sideslipped down the trail, stopping and twisting her board 180 so she could sit down next to Eddie. "Yeah, I practiced it a few days ago actually."

"I've never seen anyone on a BX board pull off tricks like you," Eddie commented.

Hailey tugged the goggles off of her eyes, fishing around in the pocket of her baggy riding pants for a small bottle. "Freestyle boards just don't give me the pop I need on the approach," she said in between swigs of water.

"For me, it's the only board small enough for me to manuever with," replied Eddie, propping himself up on his elbows and tugging his heelside edge back and forth, creating a thin line in the snow. "And it's not like I can unstrap my foot and twist it around my head."

Hailey chuckled, flopping back into the snow and tossing aside her empty water bottle. "I'm telling you, it's all in the stretch."

"All I know is you definitely have the potential for a metal," Eddie complimented.

Hailey snorted. "All I'll have to do is not fall on my ass on every single big trick I try to land," she replied waving her arms in the snow. "The day I win is the day pigs will start to fly. Well, pigs other than Luther."

Eddie snickered. "Making a snow angel?"

"Mhmm," Hailey continued to flap her arms before rolling over to admire her work. "Looks more like a landing gone terribly wrong."

"True," Eddie replied, peering over at the markings in the snow. "Well, there's a really big jump up ahead where landings are a bit tricky becase of the ice. Want to go practice on it?"

Hailey sat up, a dusting of snow snow stuck in the messy, chesnut colored bun on the back of her head. "Cool, sounds good."

* * *

Moby's hands kneaded the stiff muscles in Zoe's upper back, thumbs circling across her shoulder blades. 

"You're tight, love," said Moby. "Something stressing you out?"

"Is anything not stressing me out?" Zoe responded dully. "Oh, and a little lower... That's it."

Sighing slightly, Moby continued to move his hands slowly down her back. "Anything I can help you with?"

"Don't stop massaging me," replied Zoe, her eyes shut serenely.

"But really, you seem unhappy lately," Moby continued silkily, pressing his fingers into the gray cotton t-shirt covering back. "Is Psymon bothering you?"

Zoe's eyes fluttered open, but she continued to breathe slowly, seeming unfazed. "Well, it's not really bothering, he's not a bad guy."

_Typical Zoe response, _Moby said inwardly. "Meaning, you like him."

"Look, I don't know right now," she replied. "Please, don't do this to me. I hate feeling weak."

"But it just buggers the hell out of me to see you like this, Zo. These last two years you were so much happier than on the first SSX circuit. So much more consistent, fiery. Then you stumbled across him, and it all fell apart again," Moby said sadly.

"Psymon is **not** the reason I'm sad," Zoe said firmly, as if trying to cocnvince more than one person. "Can we please stop talking about this? Moby, you know you mean a lot to me."

Giving in, Moby sighed again. "Okay. Well then how about I take you out to our favorite sushi bar tonight?"

Zoe twisted her head around, giving him a distressed look.

"... As friends," he added hastily.

"I'd love to," she smiled gratefully, turning back around and letting his wandering hands relax her again.

"Good. It will be just like old times," said Moby quietly.

Zoe didn't speak, or move from her indian-style position on Moby's bed, him straddling her from behind and working out the tight knots on her back as he always had. But she knew in her mind, for tonight at least, he wasn't really the one she wanted to be there with.

* * *

**A/N:** Whoa, mad long update!  
The reviews I've been getting are truly amazing, and I'm glad you guys are liking this fic. So keep 'em coming. 


	6. Candy

**A/N:** Sorry I've been dragging my feet with the updates, I stumbled across a nasty writer's block. So here's the product of a couple sleepless nights.  
Also, none of my betas are responding, so once again, the positions up for grabs.

* * *

"Okay, kids, this is how it goes." Rahzel paced up in front of the meeting room, scratching the stubble on his chin. "The next person, or people, who are late to a goddamn meeting are going to be publicly humiliated in front of the entire room. Why? Because I can. Okay?" 

Kaori raised her hand. "What's that mean?"

"It means I'm going to make fun of you and yell at you so you won't be late again," Rahzel grinned at her.

"And what exactly does this humiliation entail?" Mac asked, hand up in the air.

"Well, smartass, I can use you as an example," quipped Rahzel, snapping the clip on his clipboard. Mac's hand fell limply to his side.

"Lovely. So as you know, race in two days time. Usual 11 am report, 12 sharp start. We do our shit... Blah blah blah," he skimmed through a few pages. "Oh, here. We fly to France the next day, you have to pack your bags the night before. And I have to baby you and check them because your all a bunch of goddamn babies..."

"I'm hungry. Can we go eat now?" Seeiah whispered to Marisol, who shrugged.

She whispered back, "I don't think he's done bullshitting us yet."

"... Curfew tomorrow night will be strictly enforced, 12 am. And no later. And that seems to be it. So scram!"

Chatter erupted throughout the room, and everybody made a beeline for the door.

"Hey there Elise. How's karma treating you today?" Brodi asked, stepping into stride next to her.

Elise shrugged. "Not too bad. but I think it's telling me to do my laundry."

"Ah," Brodi replied, nodding. "I was going to see if you'd like to get some coffee or something."

"Well, you are supposed to put your mind and spirit above your material possessions..." Elise made an act of rubbing her chin.

"And I was going to do my laundry later on anyway," Brodi added. "We should do it together."

"Ellie, just don't forget," Eddie chimed in. "A new episode of South Park is on tonight, and I bitched at the receptionist for, like, 20 minutes to get the feed in my room!"

"I'll be there, don't worry," Elise said with the wave of her hand. Raising his eyebrows, Eddie looked less than assured.

Mac and Kaori headed into the hotel lobby, each cradling an earpiece of Mac's Mp3 player.

"So Kaori, wanna grab a slice for dinner?" Mac asked, peering over at her.

Kaori furrowed her brow. "A slice of what?"

"Pizza. A slice of pizza," Mac replied, grinning at her.

"Oh I'd love to!" said Kaori. "But first I want to visit the Shibuya."

"You mean we're going shopping _again_?"

Kaori pouted cutely.

"Okay, fine," Mac agreed reluctantly. "But when we get back, we're playing video games in my room."

Firing off an excited reply in Japanese, Kaori grabbed Mac's wrist and they headed for the door.

"She has him completely whipped," Zoe commented dryly. Psymon nodded.

"I think it's kinda cute," Hailey replied, shrugging.

Psymon grunted, rolling his eyes. "After a year and a half, the charm wears off. Trust me."

"So what the hell is everybody doing tonight?" Zoe asked.

Moby looked uncertainly at the trio surrounding them, taking especially long moment to gawk at Zoe. She didn't seem to notice.

"I could use a couple fucking drinks," declared Psymon after a few moments of awkward silence.

Zoe nodded. "Sounds good to me."

"And me," Moby added hastily.

All eyes fell on Hailey, who just scuffed her sneaker against a bare spot in the carpet.

_C'mon, live a little,_ she thought silently. _Just get a couple drinks with a couple friends. It doesn't have to turn into a drunken blur of a night. _

"I'll take that as a no," Zoe responded to her indescision, looking Hailey right in the eyes.

"Actually," Hailey piped up, averting her gaze to a distant spot over Moby's shoulder. "I think I'd fancy a couple drinks. Where to?"

Psymon whooped. "Alright! Party it is! I've hit up Rope-pongo or whatever the fuck it's called, and their happy hour starts in 20."

"Roppongi it is," concurred Zoe, winking over at Hailey. She felt a knot of anxiety twist within her gut. Whether it was excitement or dread, she was unable to tell.

* * *

Eddie sat alone in his room, spread eagle across the crimson colored bedspread. Sneaking another pained glance at the clock, he realized it was now almost 8:45, and only 2 minutes had passed since the last time he checked. Boredom was truly setting. 

Rolling off the bed and onto the floor, he racked his brains for options. South Park was on in less than an hour, and Elise still hadn't returned from her escapade with Brodi, so count her out. He grimaced. Mac and Kaori were off being chummy in his room, definitely not needing a third wheel around. So what other friends did that leave him?

Fighting back the shadow of a grin playing on his lips, Eddie picked up his mobile phone and thumbed through his contact list before reaching the right person, and pressing send.

* * *

"My mobe's ringing, and I need to use he loo," Hailey insisted, looking up at Zoe from her trapped position on the inside of the booth. The punky brunette shook her head, grabbing the cell phone. 

Zoe looked at the screen. "No need for some fucking straight arrow like Eddie to ruin our fun night!" she laughed, switching off the phone and pocketing it. "Now chill. Let me buy you a drink."

Moby hailed the waitress, promptly ordering a Jack Daniel's.

"Two Flaming Jesuses for me," said Psymon sharply, topping Moby's order. He grinned profusely at the waitress as he did a once over of her stunning curves that were less than concealed in that particular outfit.

"Make mine two as well, love," responded Moby quickly.

"Hmm," Zoe pondered, ignoring the obvious flow of testosterone already surrounding their table. "Get me a couple tequila shots. I've had a rough day."

"What about you?" the young asian waitress looked at Hailey, pencil-thin eyebrows raised and hand poised over the mini-notebook, ready to scribble down another drink order.

"Just some water," shrugged Hailey.

"She means Holy Water of course!" added Zoe jovially while winking at the waitress, who winked back and sauntered away.

Ignoring this, Hailey sighed quietly. She felt kinda funny sitting there, and apart from the fact that she could probably slip away from everybody and light up a fag without worrying about being caught by a tour manager, this trip seemed completely weird.

"Why so down, eh?" asked Moby, having to strain his voice slightly over the thumping techno music erupting from the rave a floor below the bar.

"Just... Don't drink a lot," replied Hailey, shrugging again.

Psymon smirked, "Well get used to it."

They sat in silence for a couple of mintues, all minding their own business, until the waitress returned, setting down a wide array of drinks in front of them.

"Cheers!" Psymon cheered, downing his drink in one gulp.

Zoe and Moby followed in a suit, and Hailey felt a wild desire to do so as well. Against all her better judgment, Hailey took a shot of the vodka set in front of her. The drink burned her throat going down, but after a few seconds, there was a warm tingling in her stomach.

"Not bad, eh?" winked Zoe, enjoying the drink enough to finish her second shot.

"Not too bad," Hailey nodded, grinning shyly. _Why am I such a fucking wuss? They only want to show me some fun!_

Psymon too had downed his second shot. He burped loudly, turning to Zoe. "Let's skip out on practice tomorrow morning and get some grub at a diner or somethin'."

Having gulped down her second drink, Hailey nodded. "Sounds great."

Sneaking a glance over at Zoe, who was laughing and staring right at Psymon, Moby signaled the waitress to bring another round of drinks. "One more go, eh, then we'll do some dancing."

"Long as I don't have to shake it anywhere near you!" said Psymon loudly, laughing.

Zoe sent Moby a pleading look, and he closed his mouth, which had hung open in an unspoken protest cut short by his desires to please her.

"Oh I adore dancing. It may be one of the only things I'm good at," Hailey spoke up, feeling much more comfortable around these new friends, no matter how they may be bickering like children. Helping herself to another drink, she decided it was time to try and make these bitter feelings go away. A fist fight between Psy and Moby would totally ruin this night! "C'mon, I'll show you guys how to move to even this weird Japanese techno shit!"

* * *

Mac tossed his controller onto the floor, cussing loudly, which caused Kaori to giggle. "Sheesh Maccie, you have temper problem! _Hai_!" 

"How do you win everytime?" he grumbled. "Chicks aren't supposed to be good at Medal of Honor!"

Kaori purred and rubber her head against his shoulder. "Calm down, you sore loser. Let's play a game you can win so you won't be so angry."

"Whoa." Eyebrows raised with shock, Mac grinned. "How about we play that game I was telling you about before, the one where we play with cards and everytime the loser loses they take off some clothes?"

"...Poker?" Kaori ventured a guess after racking her brains for the right term. Mac nodded eagerly.

"It's too cold for that," Kaori shrugged, humming a happy tune and flouncing over to scan through Mac's video game collection again. He slumped down in his seat slightly, defeatedly. Bending over to reach for a video game which had been discarded on the every back edge of the dresser, Kaori gave Mac a reason to smile again.

* * *

**A/N:** So lemme know what you think in a review, eh? 


	7. Like This

**A/N: **Woot, a fast update!  
What can I say, I just had the ideas floating around in my head so I decided to update again.

* * *

"See you tomorrow, Elise," Brodi smiled calmly, nodding at the blonde bombshell. "Sleep well." 

"You too," said Elise quietly, forcing a grin as she slipped inside her suite. Hailey wasn't in yet, she noticed, and it was nearly midnight.

_Probably sleeping over with Kaori or something,_ Elise pondered, undoing the zipper and slipping out of her pencil black skirt, stepping into a pair of flannel pajama pants.

Taking a look in the mirror, Elise smeared away the trace of brown liner that had smudged underneath her eyes, making a vague attempt to beautify herself to look much less exhausted than she actually was.

Sliding into the crisp bed sheets of her four-poster, Elise sighed deeply and tried to relax. Her mind raced with replays of the night she'd just experienced, and she felt a dull pain in her chest. The rhythmic ticking of the analog alarm clock next to her bed didn't help her restlessness one bit.

Finally giving up on sleep, Elise rolled out of bed and shoved her feet into a pair of wooly slippers, grabbing her key ring and exiting the room to go back to the only person she knew could help.

* * *

Eddie slurped at his fudge pop, eyeing Elise carefully. She only suggested the duo indulge in such high-cal snacks when she was terribly upset. The lack of coordination of her baby blue tank top and crimson colored PJ pants was a sign of distress, too.

Reaching for a second popsicle, Elise sighed. "Today wasn't quite how I planned it," she said.

"How so?" inquired Eddie quietly, still studying her unchanging, stiff features.

"It was just," she paused, searching for words. "A letdown I guess."

"Is Brodi... Gay or something?" Eddie furrowed his brow in thought.

Elise laughed dryly. "I'd quite prefer that alternative, thanks."

Leaning back in his armchair, Eddie yawned, and waited. He'd been through these situations way to many times to know that Elise only spoke when she completely felt like it, and didn't fancy being forced to spill the beans.

"He says he likes our friendship. A lot. That I actually understand his deep spiritual urges and he doesn't want a relationship to ruin that," Elise sniffled, showing signs of weakness for the first time that night. "That's so dumb... isn't it?"

Eddie passed the fudge pops and a box of Kleenex her way. "Yeah, Ellie, well anybody who doesn't want to be with you is either blind or dumb. I think Brodi's the latter, obviously."

Nodding, Elise blew her nose into a tissue. "It's just so... Urgh. If I had known a new guy friend was all I would be getting out of this, I wouldn't have spend all my goddamn free time and money buying those bullshit Buddhism books. And to think, I gave up meat for a week! URGH."

"It's okay, I'm sure he'll still be your friend if you eat dead baby cows," Eddie assured, patting Elise's upper back.

Blowing her nose into a tissue, Elise shuddered. "I guess."

"Hey hey, don't be so caught up on Brodi. He could never put as much passion into a woman as he could into those weird prayer rituals!" said Eddie, smiling hopefully.

Elise's lips twitched upward. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Eddie replied, picking up the TV changer and flicking on the set. "Now let's watch some dirty cartoons, Adult Swim is on. And I got subtitles."

* * *

Early the next morning, practically at the crack of dawn, practice was just starting up. Marisol pulled her long, honey blonde mane of hair into a ponytail and inhaled deeply, the cold mountain air chilling her lungs. "Maybe France will be a little warmer, chica," she commented.

Seeiah nodded. "Yeah. And I'm getting sick and fuckin' tired of these goddamn chinks everywhere."

Luckily, Mac and Kaori were out of earshot, stretching together 15 yards away by the top of the slope.

"Last year in France is when Jean Paul and I got together," Marisol mused, pulling out a small makeup compact and checking her face for blemishes. "He's taking me to the fanciest restaurant in town to celebrate!"

"Is that producer Kiera coming too? Y'know, make this an official three-way relationship or what?" said Seeiah sarcastically.

Marisol dabbed coverup on her cheek, scowling. "Jean is not cheating on me! Will you drop it?" she snapped. "Honestly! Sometimes you can be such a grump."

"Whatever you say." Seeiah raised her eyebrows from behind the large purple Channel shades resting on her face, coordinating perfectly with her grape-colored overcoat. "If that little shit was here practicing with us instead of suspended like a little fuck, I'd set him straight," she grumbled, looking the other way.

Brodi watched as Luther sauntered by, peacefully munching on a hotdog. "It seems quiet today. We're all... Getting along," he said quietly, as if saying such a thing too loud would jinx it.

"I think it's just too damn early in the morning," replied Elise, being careful not to make eye contact with him.

"That and Zoe's not here to rile everyone up," said Mac.

Kaori nodded, smiling. "And Psymon's missing!"

"... Looks like Moby, too," Elise added, scanning the area. "And Hailey."

Eddie frowned. "I wonder what they're all doing."

"Probably all a bit hung over. Now that I think of it, I saw the lot sneaking back in at about 2, drunk as skunks," said Brodi, chuckling slightly.

"I guess I'll try Hailey, see is she's just sleeping in," said Eddie, pulling the shiny silver cell phone out of his pocket. No Answer.

"Alright, everybody here?" Rahzel asked the boarders as he strode out of a mini-van, arriving not a minute late to supervise morning practice.

Brodi began, "Actually, a few boarders never showed up-"

"Ah fuck them, get to work," Rahzel waved off Brodi, turning on his heel towards the announcer's booth.

Elise shrugged, bending down to strap her feet into the freshly waxed board. "Whaddya say Eddie, take the high route through all the jumps?"

Nodding in agreement, Eddie dropped his own board and stepped into the bindings. With a _click,_ his boots snapped into place. "Yeah, like usual."

* * *

Moby drove the rental mini-van down the smoothly paved roads, making a sharp left to pull into the hotel parking lot. Himself, Zoe, Psymon and Hailey all clamored out of the van, stomachs full after having gotten a spot of breakfast at McDonald's, as agreed upon the night before. Three of them headed for the hotel entrance, but Psymon lagged behind. 

"Hey Hailey, a word?" asked Psymon, one eyebrow cocked. The brunette shrugged, turning around to join him at the back bumper of the sedan. Zoe looked back questioningly, but Moby pulled her along, glad to finally have Psymon out of their way for a little while.

"Yeah?" asked Hailey, leaning against the mini-van and jamming her hands into the pockets of her pants. Psymon pulled out a pack of Marb 27s and a cheap yellow lighter.

"You were twirling your hair an awful lot. I figured you need one," said Psymon simply, pulling out two cigarettes and offering Hailey one. She accepted it along with the lighter.

Lighting up, she replied while holding the cigarette between her teeth, "Right you are. Thanks."

Psymon simply nodded, taking back the lighter.

Being the only two smokers on the circuit, Hailey and Psymon often snuck out together at night to light one up in the parking lot. Sometimes she'd even hang out in Psy's room, smoking out his window when Elise was around in their room. It was almost routine now.

"Does Zoe know we spend so much time together?" Hailey asked casually, flicking her ash into the snow bank next to them.

Psymon drew in on his cigarette, shaking his head. "It's best not to mention it. We're not even 'together', so what the hell's the difference?" he said.

Hailey gazed out into the distance, thinking this over while continually taking a drag. She glanced down at her wristwatch, almost noon.

"Think we should catch the last bit of practice?" Hailey suggested.

Psymon laughed loudly, tossing aside his cigarette butt. "That's cute," he chuckled, shaking his head. "Damn, woman, I almost forgot how slow you smoke."

Hailey raised her eyebrows and took a long drag. "Virgin lungs, my friend. Only been smoking 3 months."

"I bet these are the worst 3 months your wallet's ever seen," said Psymon, laughing loudly.

Nodding in agreement, Hailey quickly finished up and tossed the butt aside. She followed in Psymon's wake as he made his way inside, black combat boots forming new tracks in the snow beside Hailey's sneaker prints.

* * *

JP had spent most of the morning lounging around the empty lobby. Since the small hotel was booked for SSX riders only and everybody was at practice, he pretty much had the place to himself.

Hearing a van advancing up the driveway, JP peered out the window. Seeing 4 riders he wasn't exactly on friendly terms with step out into the open, the Frenchman sneered and headed up a flight of stairs to his room. Locking the door, he opened the shades to let in some light. And that's when he saw them.

Hailey Thomas and Psymon Stark sat on the back bumper of the mini-van, smoking contraband cigarettes. He watched as Hailey took a deep drag, laughing out loud at something Psymon said.

_Bingo._

Lips curling into a smug grin, JP pulled out his cellphone.

_I knew having this phone would come in handy sometime,_ he thought, using the camera feature to zoom in and take a snapshot of the two riders.

Having gotten all he needed, JP tugged the blinds shut once more and flopped down on his bed, reaching for the remote. He wasn't about to go rat them out to Rahzel.

Not yet, anyway.

* * *

**A/N:** Oooh la la, drama!  
Review for me, as always it's appreciated. Fanks :D 


	8. Clouds Up

**A/N: **Hey there. Sorry this update took a while, the next few will come quickly.  
And I just got back from a fab trip to Paris so writing the France scenes will be a breeze now!  
Also, the edit screen on my preview area has gone screwy, so there will be minoir changes in the formatting. Hope it doesn't bother you.

**.  
**

"Ah, France! The country of love!" Marisol beamed, stepping off the charter jet and feasting her eyes on the lovely mountain vista surrounding them. "Just as gorgeous as I remember it! Right, Jean?"

"Indeed, _mon ami_," JP replied, placing a kiss on Marisol's glossed lips before heaving her pink Luis Vitton suitcase down the gangway. Seeiah followed behind them, scowling.

"I wonder if the people here really do eat snails," said Hailey, stepping out of the jet next.

Eddie, trailing in her wake, shook his afro'd head. "Seeing how weird our frenchman JP is, I truly wouldn't doubt it. I mean, I've roomed with the guy, and he's got these creepy, silky knicker things..."

"Okay, enough about Holeshot's boxer shorts, thank you very much," quipped Elise, who was lugging about almost as much luggage as Marisol had, all by herself. "Too much information."

"That's right, move along, kids," Rahzel said in a bored voice, waving the boarders off the gangway and ushering them to a queue of SUVs waiting for them. "Luggage in the trunk, bodies in the car. Come on, we're on a tight schedule!"

"Whose he shitting?" Zoe rolled her eyes. "We're gonna get to the hotel, listen to him bullshit us for a while, then he's gonna send us up to bed."

"Glad to know everybody takes my position seriously, Zoe," winked Rahzel. The punky brunette winked right back.

"Anytime, Razzy."

Slipping between Zoe and Psymon, Moby reached forward to help load Zoe's bags into the trunk of the first SUV.

Psymon grunted and backed off.

Mac had his headphones on as he deplaned, loud rock music pumping out of the speakers. Beside him, Kaori babbled in Japanese, bright eyes scanning the vista before them.

"_Domo arigato_, Maccie!" she beamed, watching Mac shrug and begin to carry one of her heavier suitcases.

He nodded, grinning at her while struggling with it's weight, "Yeah, anytime."

Brodi was among the last to exit the plane. He could feel the warmth of the gold medal pressing against his bare chest, tucked away under his loosest fitting t-shirt. It was customary for the gold medalist to flaunt their victory for a days or two until the crew got settled into the next venue, but Brodi really didn't like the attention. Having the press bombard him with questions, photo opts, and interview requests after the race was all the recognition he needed, and then some.

Like the others before him, he gazed up at the breathtaking scenery surrounding him, and smiled. Giving a quick nod back at their pilot, who was just sealing the door behind him, Brodi headed to catch up with the others.

"Hi there Elise," he said in his characteristically calm, smooth voice. "Don't you just love the alps?"

"Yeah, they're so... Zen," she said dryly, not even looking him in the face. Brodi frowned.

"Hey, pansy boy! Get the hell outta my way!" Luther rammed Brodi aside, pushing his slightly foul smelling luggage into the trunk.

Brodi straightened up and opened his mouth to speak, but Elise was two steps ahead of him.

"Hey, fatty," she retorted coldly, rounding on him. "Watch where the fuck you're going, huh? Urgh, you smell terrible. Aren't you late for your appointment to roll around with some pigs in a mud puddle?"

"Why I oughta!" Luther clenched his fists, sputtering out his words.

"Oughta what? Bathe?" Zoe said, smirking, from the other side of the van. She just couldn't seem to resist some wholesome mockery after a very long day of racing and travel.

JP approached the scene, backing up Luther, "You're one to talk, you great cow! With the crap all over your face and your dirtbag clothes!"

"Oh yeah, I forgot, your makeup's nicer than mine. What a shame," she said sarcastically, still grinning madly. "Well whatcha gonna do about it? Hit me again?"

"Come on, don't make me come back there," called Rahzel from the front of the convoy, where he was struggling to make all of Marisol's luggage fit into the trunk.

Zoe stood staring at JP, hand on one hip, until he turned away with a look of disgust on his face.

Eddie climbed into the back seat of a huge SUV, scooting across to the middle. He looked down at Hailey, who was just approaching the car, and reached out to pat the spot next to him, but extended his arm all the way when he saw Hailey reaching back.

"Thanks," she said, pulling herself up into the car with Eddie's help. A slight flush spread across his cheeks.

"No problem," he murmured in reply.

Marisol sat in front of the vanity in the lush suite she was put in with Seeiah, carefully applying mascara to her upper lashes. Dipping the wand back into the tube, she started on the other side.

"So why isn't JP staying with us?" asked Seeiah from across the room, where she was munching on cheese doodles in front of the TV.

"I told you chica," said Marisol, pulling tighter on the strings lacing up her hot pink corset top, giving new meaning to the word cleavage. "He owns an apartment in that little complex down the road."

Seeiah rolled her eyes. "Oh I see, that way it's easier for him to sneak Kiera into his bed and fuck her brains out."

"Really, stop it," said Marisol, an edge to her voice. "Tonight's our anniversary dinner and I certainly don't need you stressing me out. I'll get a zit."

"This may not be the time, but I really can't take this shit anymore!" Seeiah stood up, crossing the room and grabbing Marisol by the shoulders, looking her straight in the face. "Marisol, girl, he's cheating on you! He a dirty, cheap, cheating white boy! Open your goddamn eyes, all the signs are there!"

Marisol shook Seeiah off, standing up from the stool and brushing off her pleated black skirt. "If you mention this one more time, you'll be very sorry you did," said Marisol quietly, words dripping in vehemence. Seeiah's lips twisted into a scowl as she watched Marisol grab her purse, step into 6 inch heels, and strut out the doorway.

"Oh, that is _it_!" Seeiah yelled out, stomping over to her recliner and plopping down, defiantly folding her arms across her chest.

Zoe flopped down on her bed, counting the tiles in the ceiling. Folding a pair of jeans and stuffing them in her dresser, Elise peered over at her.

"What's with you?" she inquired, one eyebrow raised.

Shrugging, Zoe replied, "Nothing."

"Oh come on," Elise rolled her eyes, moving on to unpack her makeup. "Just tell me what's wrong. You'd be surprised, but I may be able to help."

Zoe snorted. "And have this end up reaching the ears of half the circuit, and then some? Pass."

"And you think they'd be _interested _in who_ you _sleep around with?" Elise stopped, laughing loudly. "There's much higher issues circulating here."

Zoe looked back up at the ceiling.

"Oh come on now," Elise sat on the edge of her bed. "No snappy comebacks? You've got it bad."

"Fuck. Off."

"I know we're not the best of friends, but today I'm willing to give you some free advice _and_ offer not to tell anyone," Elise offered smugly.

"I guess your morals are along the lines of mine anyway," relented Zoe, sighing. "So tell me, Sparky, anything wrong with taking a couple test drives before buying a car?"

Smirking, recognition dawned on Elise's face. "Oooh, so tired of sleeping around with Psymon without the commitment Moby would kill for, you taste a bit of both worlds."

"Something like that," she replied. "Just, fuckin', Psymon just wants to fuck once in a while, put on a show and act like a couple when we're around other people, then screw around my back. Moby acts all boyfriend-y and love-of-your-life. But he doesn't have that... I don't know, that spunk. The X-factor."

"Spunk," repeated Elise. "Is that what we call it these days?"

Zoe couldn't help but chuckle slightly. "Psymon's just got this... I don't know..."

"Air of a complete, raving lunatic who does drugs, has his own reserved cell in county jail, and damaged all is nerve endings in a freak bike accident?" clarified Elise. "Mmm, sexy."

Zoe didn't even snap back, she just propped herself up against the headboard. "What now?"

"Hmm, fooling around with both of them will lead undoubtfully to broken heart _vis a vis_ Moby," said Elise. "Like last time. But it may be a chance your willing to take, eh?"

Frowning, Zoe traced her finger around the pattern of her down comforter.

Elise stood up, crossing the room again. "The tribe has spoken. Just don't fuck up Moby too badly, it's ugly seeing him cry."

"Hmmph." Hugging her knees to her chest, Zoe sighed. This was going to be one hell of a week.

**A/N: Hokay, so please review on your way out. As usual, it is greatly appreciated.****  
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